By PATRICK GORDON | Managing Editor
December 2 2014, 3:45 pm EST
@Philabaseball
For weeks the Phillies were believed to be the favorite to land Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas, but things quickly took a turn early last week when sources close to the club indicated concerns about Tomas' conditioning and defensive ability.
Tomas went on to agree last week to a six-year deal with Arizona for $68.5 million.
For all the scouting, time and interest the Phillies invested in the 24-year-old the organization never made an offer, according to Tomas' agent, Jay Alou.
"Interest was sincere, but they were not prepared to make an offer until the the Winter Meetings," Alou said Tuesday.. "Ruben always kept in contact, but the DBacks stepped up and the deal structure made sense for Tomas."
Alou hinted the Phillies needed to move salary before making an offer, so the club wanted to wait to see what cash they could free up from possible trades at the Winter Meetings before making an offer.
Amaro declined to discuss Tomas when reached for comment, citing the organization's policy on publicly discussing negotiations.
Tomas' contract with Arizona includes a potential opt-out after four seasons, so a similar deal with the Phillies would not have made much sense as the club continues to rebuild.
The Phillies already have approximately $135 million committed to payroll for 2015 and that's not including Domonic Brown, Ben Revere and Antonio Bastardo, all of whom are arbitration eligible.
Outfielder Marlon Byrd seems to be the most logical option to be moved next week. The Yankees have already expressed an interest and several clubs are seeking a bat with some pop for a short-term deal. The 37-year-old is entering the final year of his current contract and is owed $8 million.
- The Philadelphia Baseball Review is the top baseball news source in Philadelphia, providing news coverage and analysis of all things baseball related in the Philadelphia region.
